Catch you on the flip side
by InkDrawnDreamer
Summary: Bill Cipher crosses into another world where the Pines twins rule Gravity Falls with an iron fist and teams up with them to destroy their counterparts. Back in the normal world, can Dipper and Mabel stop him before it's too late? A canon/Reverse Falls centered fic set before "Not What He Seems."
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A peek through the window

"Man, what a weirdo," Bill said to himself as he slipped through the walls of the "Gravity Falls Gossiper" office. "Ah well, let's see if that carnivorous hydra woman I slipped into his dream makes it into the papers."

He had decided, late into the night, to have a little fun with the townspeople while they slept- stir up some nightmares, give them a little trauma, just some harmless fun. After all, he needed a break from his work every once in a while. What better way to spend it than by messing with folks under the full moon?

"Let's see, who's next?" His single eye scanned above the treetops until it settled on a large building secluded in the woods. The Mystery Shack.

"Ah! Perfect," he said with just a hint of glee.

Bill floated leisurely toward the Shack, high above the ground. He filled up the large triangular window of the attic, where he looked on at the twins, splayed out in piles of blankets atop their beds. Dipper was fast asleep with the journal resting on his chest. The six-fingered gold plaque shone in the moonlight where its surface peeked out from beneath his closed hand. Mabel was smiling in her sleep, arms wrapped tightly around that pig of her. Her head rested against its back like a giant pink pillow. The both of them were quiet as they slept like a couple of angels, completely unaware of the demon in their midst.

"Hmm, on second thought," Bill said. "Maybe not tonight."

No, not tonight. He would mess with them later, but not just yet. Why put them on edge too early? From the window, though, he couldn't take his eye off Dipper's journal. Journal number 2 had dissapeared when Gideon was arrested, and who could even guess as to where the first one might be. (Bill had a hunch but he decided a while ago not to seek it out just yet).

Oh, what fun he could have been having right now in those twins' heads! If only they were not necessary for later. Bill let out a sigh. He loved this strange little town, he really did, and he sought its secrets with an unrelenting, ravenous appetite. Though he hated to admit it, even Gravity Falls could get a bit boring after a while. The last really fun time he had was taking over Dipper's body not quite two weeks ago. It had been ages since the demon had had a host body, so even the most unpleasant pains were somehow invigorating. It was the first time in a long while that he had enjoyed himself so much.

"Man, how great will this place be again once I've broken this tedium?" he mumbled.

His eye was still locked on the journal, but he forced himself to move away from the glass to once again roam the empty streets. Thinking about his constant boredom only made him feel worse. Oh why must preparing the stage for his plans take so long? As he pondered this, an awful stench surrounded him. Ah yes, there was one downside of being a disembodied dream demon: you can't feel a thing, but boy can you smell things. (How he managed to smell without a nose, however, Bill was not really sure of).

He looked up to see a an open-hooded car far past the point of repair butted up against a ramshackle wooden shack. Of course he had come to the dump of all places. Who better to torment than good Old Man McGucket? Bill crept into the shack with an almost giddy feeling. The inside of the building was a total mess. Various metal parts, tons of papers, and plain old garbage littered the dirt floor in unstable heaps. McGucket himself was asleep on an old mattress in the corner of the room, snoring away. He looked surprisingly comfortable all things considered.

Bill chuckled under his breath and went for him, blue flames blazing in his hands, only to be blown back in a flash of light. He flew across the small room into the piles of junk with a cry. The old man did not stir. Bill scowled with his one eye and returned to the man's bedside carefully. He cleared a bit of the garbage on the floor surrounding him to reveal painted lines of bizarre symbols. Of course, even thirty years later with his mind gone, the man somehow remembered to arm himself. He probably couldn't even remember the significance of the barrier.

"Hmm, I hate to say it, but I'm impressed." Bill backed away toward the opposite wall. "You haven't lost your touch Fiddleford."

Bill slumped down into a pile of papers. Boy, McGucket sure had an awful lot of research material here. Poor guy probably couldn't tell what any of it means now though. Bill sifted through a few of the papers out of curiosity, but there was nothing pertaining to himself and almost nothing of any value in general.

"Lesse, gnomes, magical squash, "truth teeth"? Yeesh, talk about no competition."

He sighed and began to shuffle the papers into a stack. How boring. Just then, a few sheets slipped from the bunch. These looked somehow better kept, Bill noted, compared to the other dog-eared and coffee-stained notes. They all seemed to be part of the same document; Each page had an identical heading TENTATIVE PORTAL OPENING across the top.

"Wait just a minute, now what is this?" The demon skimmed the first page curiously, and his eye grew wide as he read further.

"No, that can't be right. How on earth is this possible?" Bill snatched up the other papers and read them at a ravenous, fast pace. He read them cover to cover, notes and all, two or three times over as if in disbelief.

"So even without the incantation...and if the ritual is done this way...I've never even thought of this before! And if this is true-" his ramblings soon gave way to raucous laughter. "Hahahahaha! Oh, Fiddleford you brilliant old fool! I knew you still had it in you!"

He looked at the sleeping elder almost tenderly. The old man simply turned over, blissfully unaware of the hysterical demon's presence.

"Forget messing with dreams, this- this is something special!"

He was actually feeling excited as he gathered the precious documents together. Oh, those precious papers! He had to get going soon, for there was work to be done now. Those dusty old notes were going to change everything! With another string of giddy laughter, Bill fled the disheveled shack and sped off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Reversal

"Bill. Pour me some tea," Mabel called from where she sat at the table backstage.

A being in the shape of a blue triangle floated toward her, teapot in hand, and filled her cup without a word.

"Thank you Bill," she said and took a sip.

That was a rare sight. The twins almost never thanked him for anything. Those spoiled, inconsiderate…

"Oh, where on earth is he?" The slam of his mistress's fist made Bill jump. "Dipper was supposed to be back by now. The show will start in less than ten minutes! Does he think Uncle Stan will really allow us to hold off any longer?"

"I-I-I don't know."

She crossed her arms sternly. "Find him." An order.

"No need, Mabel," her brother's voice sounded from behind them.

Dipper stepped inside, being careful not to shut his shimmery cape in the door. He was already in costume and his hair combed over, neatly, save for a few dirt stains on his face.

"Finally! Where were you?" His sister jabbed him in the chest, just below the blue jewel that hung from his bolo tie.

He simply clapped the dirt from his gloved hands. "Just had some business to take care of. That's all."

She stepped back, hands on her hips. "You're filthy. Did you forgot that we have a show today?"

"How could I? You never stop nagging me about it- hey!"

He fought with a whine as she scrubbed a damp cloth over his face. Bill almost chuckled, but they would have almost certainly reprimanded him for it. It was one of those rare times when they seemed like just a normal pair of siblings.

"Ack! Stop it!"

"Just hold still so I can get it off-"

"Kids! Five minutes 'til curtain!" Their great-uncle's voice resounded from the other room.

"Coming Uncle!" they replied in unison before disappearing out of sight.

Bill, thankful for the quiet moment, set to cleaning up the table. Goodness, they left most of their things behind. As he was picking up, his single eye settled on the familiar form of a leather-bound journal. They forgot the book! It was almost showtine- he had to get it to them right away. Dropping everything, he scurried out the door to find them. But as soon as he got outside the room, something like an electrical shock hit him.

 _Open it._

Was someone there? He looked around, but found that he was alone.

 _Open it._

There it was again. He looked down to the journal in his hands. There were a few notes stuck in here and there. He placed his finger to the edge of a paper scrap stuck in the middle.

 _Open it._

He did. He had read through the journal before, but this section he had landed on was new. Bill slowed down as he read through the book. If what he was seeing was possible, then just maybe he could-

"One minute!" Stan called. Shoot, the show was about to start. Bill slammed the book quickly. He couldn't let the twins or their uncle catch him sneaking a look at it. He headed to the stage without missing a beat, a newfound excitement rushing through him.

The show went off without a hitch, per usual. The twins performed their usual magic act. Their uncle billed them as psychics, but it was all due to the gems they wore- the ones Bill had told them about long ago. He forgot just how long it had been since they first summoned him. Since then, he had been a slave to them, those accursed twins!

Bill was a mind manipulator, a powerful creature, but he himself had always been benevolent. For years, he would watch tenderly over children in the sleepy town of Gravity Falls, but never before had he seen children as calculating and cruel as the Pines. They had moved in years ago to live with their uncle and been nothing but trouble since. Tourists were drawn to their act, and the financial gain was more than enough to satisfy the townspeople. Anyone who wasn't would end up at their mercy, always. The two of them were on top of the world, no enemies in sight, and the most powerful being who could stop them was reduced to servitude.

But now, finally, that could change. Once the afternoon show was over, Bill dissapeared into the woods alone. For what he was about to do, he needed a vessel to possess. He never liked taking possession of people. It just felt wrong. On occassion, however, the twins would call on him for tasks that required it. They hired a quiet man, who had memory problems and difficulty sleeping, as a ticket taker years ago to serve as a vessel. Their rationale was that the man was physically healthy and unassuming enough to use, plus he would probably just think any gaps in his day were the usual memory lapses. It still didn't sit well with Bill, but he was always careful to keep the man unharmed, and watched over his dreams when he slept.

He had to be careful now though. If anyone were to recognize his vessel, the Pines would find out instantly. For the ritual he wanted to perform, he had to make sure everything, the time of day, the setting, everything was perfect. Past the many rows of trees he managed to spot his destination. It was a large brick and wood building, the only one in the area- the infamous Mystery Shack.

The Shack was a well-known tourist trap that showcased all sorts of ridiculous hoaxes and supposed artifacts. It was also the rival to the Pines' "Tent of Telepathy", and Bud Gleeful, who ran the place, was the family's notorious enemy. The twins had even taken to picking on Bud's son Gideon after a while. Mabel had a bit of an obsession with him.

Bill tread lightly as he slinked about the property. If he remembered correctly, there was a decent-sized shed a short ways behind the house. He found it quickly, and in less than a minute he had the lock undone and was inside. Luckily, the place was stuffed full of junk to the point where the windows were completely covered. He couldn't risk being seen.

"Now, let's get started," he murmured as he fumbled with the pages of the book. Getting reaccustomed to a human form was always a bit of a challenge.

Finally, he found the page with directions for the ritual. Bill carefully placed the book on a clean portion of a cluttered table, cleared his throat, and began reciting the incantation. In one hand he held a small blue crystal. It had taken him a good hour to find, but he could not have asked for a better one. In the other hand he held a bowl of water. Without missing a word, he dropped the crystal in with a splash. The water shone bright green and colorful smoke billowed up from the surface. As a gentle smile bloomed across his face, Bill suddenly heard a loud noise.

He turned around with a jolt as the door to the shack burst open. Standing there, wearing perfectly identical expressions of fury, were the twins.

"I should've known you would come here," Dipper muttered.

Bill lowered his face, still murmuring the chant.

"I thought you had been acting strangely today," Mabel said, her nose in the air, arms crossed over her chest. "I never would have guessed that you had the gall to steal the book."

Dipper stuck out his hand impatiently. "Hand it over, Cipher."

With fumbling hands, Bill poured a trace amount of water on the page and it glowed faintly.

Dipper furrowed his brow. "I'm giving you a warning Bill, don't make us have to take it from you." his and his sister's hands flew to their jewels.

Without warning, Bill threw the water from the bowl, drenching them both and ringing the floor with moisture. They tried to activate their gems but nothing happened.

"Don't bother. This stuff cancels out magic," Bill said, rubbing the remaining liquid between his hands.

"You fool, just what do you think you're-"

"Enough! I'm through with being your tool!" he shouted and chanted some strange words that they could not recognize.

Suddenly, the wet areas of the floor began to light up white The twins stopped dead. What was he doing? This wasn't like him at all.

So I'm going somewhere new." A grin plastered itself onto Bill's normally sullen face as green fire spread all around the three of them. "Somewhere where I am powerful!"

The twins fell back as the book lit up and blinding light flooded the room. They felt as if they were floating, unattached to anything or anyone, save for each other. They held a tight grip on each other's hands. The world seemed to be on a complete pause. Suddenly, they felt a shift in the gravity and they flew forward toward a black dot, growing bigger and bigger until finally, they crashed through it.

Mabel groaned as they landed, her head spinning from the impact. She could hear her brother doing the same close by. Just where were they?

"Mabel, are you all right?" Dipper called out as they staggered to their feet.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Good. Now where are we?" They dusted themselves off and took a good look around.

Tall pine trees towered above them on every side. Everything was quiet save for a few squaks of the birds that flew through the blue sky overhead. A few feet away from where the twins stood was a large, deep hole. Next to it was a small wooden sign with BOTTOMLESS PIT written in splotchy brown paint. They were at the Mystery Shack. Why on earth would Bill send them there?

"Look!" Mabel pointed toward the driveway. "That's not Mr. Gleeful's car."

She was right. In place of Bud Gleeful's clean blue car was a junker if they had ever seen one. The door had a huge dent in the side, and the rusty spots on the body were the same hue as the aged brown paint. The rear license plate clung precariously to the rest of the car. The letters STNLYMBL were barely legible underneath layers of dry mud that caked the metal plate.

"This doesn't make sense," Dipper started to say when a shriek cut suddenly though the air.

"Argh! Mabel, give that back!"

Mabel looked behind her quickly. "Did someone just call me?"

"No way! I want a turn!"

For once, her brother looked surprised. "That- that sounded just like you!"

A loud boom and a scatter of birds spread across the sky. It had come from the Shack. The two of them came closer, moving discreetly behind the nearby trees. Up ahead, the blurry form of a girl sped past the front door with some kind of blue crystal in hand. She aimed it at the trunk of a tree and a burst of water shot out from her hand.

"Mabel, I told you not to touch that! We don't know how it works!" A boy with a voice not unlike Dipper's called out as he followed close behind her.

The twins watched them dumbstruck and open-mouthed.

"They- they look exactly like us!" Mabel muttered.

Dipper shook his head. "No, scratch that, they are us!" How was this possible?

"It must have been Bill. He sent us to some kind of mirror world. Except here, we're-"

"Kids!" A rather hoarse voice sounded from inside the house. "We're opening soon! Get your butts back in here and finish licking those stamps!"

The kids groaned in unison and trudged over to the door, shutting it with a loud slam. A minute or two passed before the twins crept out from behind the trees. Neither could find their tongues. They were both more than accustomed to strange creatures and phenomena, but this?

"How on earth is this possible?" Mabel was dumbfounded.

"We've never crossed over into a place like this before. The closest we've ever come is entering the dreamscape." Dipper furrowed his brow, a contemplative expression on his face. "Bill must have learned the ritual to bring us here without our knowledge."

"But where is he then? He said he was going 'somewhere he's powerful.' I would think then that he would come here alone and leave us back home."

"His ritual must have backfired. Something went wrong and now we're here too."

Mabel made a determined face. "We have to find Bill."

Dipper nodded back to her. "Right. We ought to summon him."

"But he took the book!"

"We're in some kind of parallel reality aren't we? Then there must be another journal here too."

"But where would it be?" Mabel saw her brother's face and followed his gaze to the Shack.

"I think I may know," he said.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Friends and Foes

"Ugh, everything tastes like glue," Dipper groaned. "That's the last time I help Stan with the postcards."

"Aw c'mon Dip, it's not so bad." Mabel gave him a light punch in the arm. "At least it's not like that bad Summerween candy."

He cracked a smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

"So, are you ready for a water fight yet?" Mabel pulled the blue crystal from her sleeve and shook it in front of his face enticingly.

"No. We still don't know much about it." He batted it away. "I should really check the journal first."

"Blargh!" She fell back onto her bed with a dramatic groan.

"Moan about it all you want. Better safe than sorry," he said as he pulled the tattered book out from beneath his pillow.

As dog-eared as it was, Dipper took great care in preserving the journal. Sure, he had written in it a few times, but he kept its pages otherwise untouched. He took it everywhere, safely tucked away in his vest. Mabel teased him to no end for sleeping with it. She could laugh all she wanted, but he was not taking any chances. Getting possessed by Bill was a wake-up call; he had to protect the journal at all costs.

"Hmm, water crystals, water crystals." He thumbed through the book pensively. "Aha! Here they are. Apparently if you freeze them they can shoot ice, but they're not dangerous otherwise."

"Great!" Mabel shot up and squirted him in the face.

"Argh! Hey! Cut it out!" he called behind her as she ran down the stairs. He took off after her, taking care to tuck the book back into his vest.

They ran through the house, past an irritated looking Grunkle Stan, and into the backyard. As they ran, Mabel would turn around every few seconds to hit her brother with another burst of water.

"Argh! Cut that out!" He put his arms up defensively.

"Well, get another one so you can fight back!" she yelled over her shoulder.

They headed for the forest, where they eventually split up. Dipper headed for the creek where they originally found the crystal. He fell to his knees and scanned the rushing water for more. Sure enough, the bank was full of them. He scooped up a few handfuls of shards into his shirt, using it as a pouch. After checking one last time to make sure the journal was safe, he took off into the woods with a grin.

With Dipper gone, the twins came out of hiding.

"Well, he has it with him. So how should we take it?" Mabel turned to her brother.

"We could fight him for it," he suggested. "But that would cause too much of a fuss. Why let him know we're here?"

"We could ambush him."

"Hm, no. Still too much trouble."

"Well what then?"

He tapped his chin for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "We hide in plain sight. You pretend to be _his_ sister and get the book from him."

"Impossible. He'll see right through it. She and I look alike, but that's it."

"Then you just need to act like her."

Her face twitched. "Like how?"

"I don't know. Pretend you're on stage. You know, smile, act cute, she's pretty loud too, so just do that."

She pouted. "I might as well be imitating Pacifica."

"It's only for a few minutes. It's not that difficult." Her brother shook his head. "He went through the brush, so let's go that way."

As annoyed as she was, she followed close behind him without another word.

Dipper panted as he slowed to a stop, resting his weight against a tree for support. He has been following Mabel around for maybe half an hour, but he hadn't caught sight of her for even longer. She might as well be a ninja what with how easily she alluded him. He only knew he was still on her trail because of her triumphant laughter and the occassional shot of water hitting him.

"Argh, just you wait Mabel!" he shouted to the heavens.

Just as Dipper took off running again, he smacked right into a blurry figure, and they fell to the ground in an unbalanced, shrieking heap. Dipper sat up with a groan. He had dropped all of the crystals, most of which were broken now.

"Ow! Watch where you're going!" Wait, a minute, was that Mabel?

The girl parted her curtain of hair to reveal his sister's scowling face.

"M-Mabel?" he said almost in disbelief.

"Yeah. You don't recognize me or something?"

Quite honestly, he didn't. It looked like her, yet not somehow.

"What happened to your clothes?"

She had actually pared down quite a bit, and was now clad only in her long blouse, skirt, and flats. She had even unhooked the amulet and pinstriped bow from her headband.

"They got all wet so I went in and changed," she replied carefully.

He still looked a bit skeptical. Oh right, she had to _act_ like that little dingbat too. Channeling her acting skills, Mabel put on her brightest smile and got to her feet.

"Anyway, sorry I bumped into you bro." She offered Dipper her hand and pulled him up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He relaxed a little. Good.

"Say Dipper," she said sweetly, "Could I see the journal for a minute?"

He stiffened a bit. "I don't know..."

"Come on, please? I want to look for the uh-" _Quick, think of something!_ "Fairies!"

"You want to look for fairies?" He raised an eyebrow. "Well, I guess we haven't seen any more since that one accident Soos had."

"Please bro? For me?" She batted her eyelashes at him.

 _Come on, just hand it over!_

"Well..." He looked from her to the book beneath his vest.

Mabel kept a hopeful smile on her face.

 _Hand it over already you idiot!_ she screamed inside her head.

Dipper sighed. What was he so worried about? He could trust Mabel. "Okay."

He took out the book and she practically tore it out of his hands. She caught the surprised look on his face and gulped. _Shoot, what would the other one do?!_ Thinking quickly, Mabel spun on her heels and scooped him up in a stiff hug.

"Thanks brother!" she kissed him on the cheek and nearly hit his head in the process.

"Uh, you're welcome?" Dipper muttered uncomfortably.

Mabel pushed away from him suddenly, and took off. Once she was out of his sight, she furiously wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

"Ugh! When we get home, I am taking at least three baths." She shivered. "Disgusting!"

It was a horrible experience, but at least she had the book. She held it firmly in her hands and eyed the beaten cover. Goodness, she and her brother _never_ let their journal get so badly damaged. Great Uncle Stan would have their heads if they did. Oh well, the pages were in good enough shape, and that's what really mattered. All she had to do now was find Dipper— _her_ Dipper.

"What's taking her so long?" Dipper lamented as he continued to tap his polished shoe against the trunk of a tree.

Mabel should have been back by now with the journal in tow, but she was still nowhere up be found, and he was beginning to grow impatient. He let out a sigh when he suddenly heard his name. He looked just past a small clearing to see his sister running toward him.

Dipper shook his head. "It's about time."

He sprinted across the way toward her, his shimmery cape flying behind him like a flag. Just beyond his view, a his sister's doppelgänger looked on at him in disbelief.

"Is that Dipper?" Mabel squinted, but he was already gone. Perfect time for an ambush.

As she moved forward, she darted her head around feverishly, looking for any sign of her brother. No way was she going to let him get the drop on her. Just then, she spotted a blurry shadow up ahead. With a shout, she rushed him and knocked him down, then proceeded to barrage him with shots of water.

"Okay okay! I give up!" He shielded his face with his hands.

She stopped. "Dipper?"

"Yeah? Why do you sound surprised?"

"Aw, you changed your clothes!"

"What are you talking about?" He looked at her strangely. "I thought you said your sweater got wet."

She shook her head. "No. What happened to your cape?"

"I don't have a cape. What's going-" It suddenly clicked, and Dipper began to panic. "Mabel, where's the journal?!"

"I don't have it!" she said.

"But I gave it to you! Or I thought I did!" The realization finally struck them.

"This is bad. We have to find that girl!" Dipper grabbed his sister's hand and started leading her in the direction their doppelgängers had gone, only to crash into someone coming up the way.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! Are you all-" Bill froze when he saw the kids' faces. "Y-you two! What are you doing here?"

"Are you sure this will work?" Mabel said as she lit the last candle.

After taking the journal, she and her brother had stopped in town for supplies to perform the summoning ritual. They tried to be as discreet as possible, nestling themselves far away in a remote corner of the woods.

"I guarantee it will," Dipper replied..

Everything was all set; the circle of candles were lit, with the journal in the center. With one last glance at each other, the twins began to recite the incantation in unison. They did not bother looking at the journal— they knew the spell by heart. They finished speaking and an eerie silence fell over them.

The forest was still— for a moment anyway— then the sky suddenly darkened and the wind picked up. In an instant, it all stopped— literally. The world was cast into shades of gray. Nothing moved, nothing in the forest so much as twitched. The twins remained vigilant, and tried to keep their fear buried underneath it. All of a sudden, the circle lit up blue and the air filled with maniacal laughter. The ground rattled beneath the kids' feet as a glowing, white light appeared, floating above the center of the circle. It grew suddenly, and with a flash, he appeared.

"You rang?" Bill Cipher said with a flourish.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Teams

"Ah, I've been waiting for you to call!" the thing said cheerfully.

For once in their lives, Dipper and Mabel were slack-jawed. The creature in front of them was the spitting image of Bill. He had the same triangular shape, one single eye, and Bill's trademark hat and bowtie, but he was a cheerful golden yellow that rivaled their servant's dull blue color. His gait was the exact opposite too— even his simple greeting was vivacious and sounded all too cheerful.

"Well, well, you're not Shooting Star and Pine Tree, that's for sure." He scratched his "head" as he looked them over. "How about I just call you Birthmark and Pin Stripe for now."

They eyed each other self-consciously.

"And you are?" Dipper piped up first.

"The name's Bill Cipher! But I'm sure you knew that already."

"Yes. I'm-"

"I already know who you are, Dipper and Mabel Pines. Well, the _other_ Pines as far as I'm concerned. You were orphaned when you were five years old, then you went to live with your Great Uncle. You've been doing your magic act for him since then. Am I right or am I right?"

Dipper did a double take. "Y-you're right."

"Good. Hey I notice the blue guy isn't here with you." His eye darted all around. "Any reason?"

Mabel cleared her throat. "He sent us here, having apparently acquired some kind of spell without our knowledge. We haven't been able to find him and we're hoping you could help us."

"Well," he sounded pensive. "I suppose I could."

"We could make it worth your while."

This caught his attention. "Depends. What do you have to offer?"

"What do you want?"

He looked beyond the treetops, far, far away and settled his gaze on the Mystery Shack.

"So, uh, how are you?" Mabel asked sheepishly.

"Um, okay." the man's reply came out more as a question than an answer.

Dipper looked back and forth between them nervously. After they met in the woods, and the stranger explained himself, the three of them went back to the Mystery Shack. The conference had been nothing short of awkward. Mostly they were just sitting there in uncomfortable silence.

"Okay, so let me get this straight." Dipper asked. "You're saying that you are Bill Cipher, but not the Bill we know."

"That's right." he mumbled. "You're not the twins I know either."

"What do you mean "not the twins _you_ know?"

"I mean, at least I think, that you two are parallel versions of the Pines twins I serve, and the Bill you know is somehow a parallel version of me."

Mabel's eyes lit up. "Wait, does that mean that there's other versions of us somewhere?" She pointed to herself and Dipper.

Bill nodded. Mabel squealed with delight and practically threw herself at him. "Ooh! What are they like? Is the other me nice? Does she like cats? What's her favorite color-"

He cut her off. "I assure you, she is not nice." He shuddered. "Neither is her brother."

Mabel's face fell. Dipper looked up at the man curiously. "Wait, if you're Bill, then why do you look like this?" He motioned at the man's well-dressed form.

"To get here, I had to take a human form. This man is really an employee of the twins. They keep him around for, well, for things like this."

He had expected the look of disgust on the boy's face.

"I don't like doing it, and if it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't have done it. But I had to!" his explanation sounded more like a plea. "Those children are monsters! Even with my power, they managed to trap me! I had to get out!"

The three of them were silent for a moment. Bill felt a pang of guilt when he saw the looks of horror on the children's faces. Of course they would be chilled by such a revelation. Mabel was even shivering a bit. Bill hung his head, feeling ashamed, when he felt the girl put her arms around him. He flinched, baffled by her gesture.

"I don't really understand all of this, but, if there's a version of me and she's that bad, and makes you that scared—" Mabel looked him in the eye. "then I want to make it right."

Bill was dumbfounded by her sense of responsibility for him, but touched nonetheless. She truly _was_ his master's opposite.

"So, what are we going to do about the other, well, us?" Dipper asked.

Bill cleared his throat. "Well, I wasn't expecting that they could follow us, but since they did, we need to find a way to put them back. In the journal I used for the ritual, I'm sure there was a way to send someone back to their own dimension."

"But they took our journal," Dipper pointed out.

"They took yours," Bill opened up his jacket and reached inside. "But I still have there's."

He pulled out a journal identical to Dipper's, except that it had a shiny number 2 printed on the cover.

He flipped through the book for a while until he found the correct page. "We can send them back. We just have to catch them."

"And how are we going to do that, exactly?" Dipper asked.

"Don't worry." For the first time since the kids met him, he smiled. "I have a plan."


End file.
